ONLY rarely has an opponent done the double over Northwich with Martin Poste in charge.

Birkenhead Park matched Warrington’s feat when they became only the second visiting side to win at Moss Farm this season.

Blacks led rather than play catch-up, as they had done in the teams’ first meeting back in September, and were overtaken only when Dave Hall stepped through their defence to score with four minutes left.

The visitors had taken the lead when Ollie Mabbott dotted down at the end of a driving maul.

However Northwich responded and Joel Barber’s clever pass invited Richard Dale to claim an unconverted reply that was followed by a pair of successful penalty-kicks from Nick Baldwin.

Dale was instrumental when Blacks scored again, turning over possession before sending captain Matthew Poste onto the attack.

He supplied an assist for Bud Skinkis to claim the easiest of tries.

Stuart Brown grabbed Park’s second score in similar fashion to their first and Hall converted.

Baldwin’s three-pointer made it 21-12 at the interval.

Birkenhead were again the first to trouble the scorers after the break when Jacob Ainscough, a graduate from their colts team making his debut, took a quick tap penalty before racing clear.

Further tries from prop Liam Sharples and centre Gaz Coy, both of them improved by Hall, turned the contest their way.

Northwich’s only response was another Baldwin penalty until they sparked into life when Dale again stole back the ball before sending Skinkis to the line.

Baldwin’s conversion closed a gap to two points at 31-33 before Park captain Jack Ashcroft and Skinkis were sent to the sin-bin following a fracas.

Ashcroft was penalised for retaliation, and Baldwin landed a tricky penalty to put his side in front.

However Birkenhead pinched maximum points when Hall claimed their sixth try of the afternoon.

He converted too.

Northwich remain fifth in North One West, a point better off than their conquerors who rise to sixth.

Northwich | Maddocks, Gough, Laddle, Heywood, Ensor, James, Clark, Williams, Poste, Baldwin, Du Randt, Richard Dale, Underhill, Skinkis, Barber Replacements Balshaw, Ridgway, Naylor Tries Richard Dale, Skinkis (2) Cons Baldwin (2) Pens Baldwin (5)